Satsvarupa_dasa_Goswami

Satsvarupa dasa Goswami

Satsvarupa dasa Goswami

American poet and disciple of Bhaktivedanta Swami (born 1939)

For the American actor, see Stephen Guarino.

Satsvarupa das Goswami (IAST: Sat-svarūpa dāsa Gosvāmī, Sanskrit: [sɐtˈsʋɐɽuːpɐ daːsɐ ɡoːˈsʋaːmiː], Devanagari: सत्स्वरूप दास गोस्वामी)[1] (born Stephen Guarino on December 6, 1939) is a senior disciple of Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who founded the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), better known in the West as the Hare Krishna movement. Serving as a writer, poet, and artist,[2][3] Satsvarupa dasa Goswami is the author of Bhaktivedanta Swami's authorized biography,[4][5] Srila Prabhupada-lilamrta.[6][7] After Prabhupada's death, Satsvarupa dasa Goswami was one of the eleven disciples selected to initiate future disciples.[8][9][10][11][12][13] Satsvarupa dasa Goswami is one of the first few Westerners ordained by Bhaktivedanta Swami in September 1966.[14][15] He is a Vaishnava writer, poet, and lecturer,[16] who published over a hundred books including poems, memoirs, essays, novels, and studies based on the Vaishnava scriptures.[17]

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Honorifics

  • His Holiness
  • Srila Gurupada
  • Paramahamsa
  • Maharaja

Early years

He was born Stephen Guarino,[15] the elder of two children, to Italian Roman Catholic parents in Staten Island, New York and attended Brooklyn College.

In July 1966 he met A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami who registered the ISKCON a month later. Bhaktivedanta Swami soon began assigning him typing tasks which Satsvarupa understood "to be yoga".[18] On September 23, 1966 he was ordained in the new Gaudiya Vaishnava movement.[19][20][21]

After Swami Bhaktivedanta died, he was one of eleven disciples selected to become an initiating guru in ISKCON.[12]

Writings

His writings were translated to over forty languages by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust and Gita Nagari Press. He was also asked by Bhaktivedanta Book Trust to complete a number of works,[12][22][23] started by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami.[24] In his writings, Satsvarupa dasa Goswami advocates a lacto-vegetarian diet.[25][26]

Works

His books include Srila Prabhupada-Lilamrta,[27] a biography of Prabhupada.,[28] He Lives Forever (1978) (lectures on the significance of Bhaktivedanta Swami) and five volumes of Prabhupada Nectar (1983–86) and a number of other titles.[29][30][31] His memoir With Srila Prabhupada in the Early Days (1991) covers the early years of 1966–1969, his book Life With the Perfect Master (1983) describes the seven-month period in 1974, when he served as Bhaktivedanta's personal servant.[32]

Status in ISKCON

He became the most senior member of the movement. He was appointed as a ritvik (representative) by his preceptor.[21] He was also one of the original members appointed as (GBC) Governing Body Commission created by Bhaktivedanta Swami in 1970 to gradually take over the management of ISKCON and was a trustee in the Bhaktivedanta's will for the management of ISKCON.[33]

History in ISKCON

Early days

After ISKCON's incorporation in July 1966 at 26 Second Avenue, Satsvarupa dasa was engaged as A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami's personal typist and ISKCON secretary for the first year.[18][34] He was one of the few devotees who maintained outside jobs to support the ISKCON temple at the beginning.[35] Later he managed ISKCON Boston, and ISKCON Press which was later registered as Bhaktivedanta Book Trust. After assuming duties of a GBC (Governing Body Commissioner) in 1970, Satsvarupa was asked by Bhaktivedanta Swami to accept the order of sannyasa in 1972. He accepted sannyasa along with other GBC members, all of whom were originally married men, such as Tamala Krishna Goswami and Hridayananda das Goswami. At the time A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami awarded him and other followers the title "Goswami" with the single line instruction: "Preach, preach, preach!"[36] He has been listed among active promoters of ahimsa and vegetarianism among other Eastern religious teachers.[25]

During diksa ceremony in 1979

Preaching and traveling

Main preaching activities by the means of traveling sankirtana parties were centered in United States. BBT (Bhaktivedanta Book Trust) Library Party headed by him in the mid-1970s was active in establishing distribution network mainly to the Universities of the United States, with some members of the team such as Bhakti Tirtha Swami and Suhotra Dasa traveling as far as Eastern Europe.

In 1974, Satsvarupa dasa Goswami was requested by Bhaktivedanta Swami to join him as traveling GBC servant, replacing previous servant Srutakirti Dasa and travelled as a menial servant around the globe.[37]

Managing BTG

From the early days of ISKCON, the Back to Godhead[38][unreliable source?] was project required a lot of both contribution and supervision.[39] Satsvarupa dasa Goswami was editor in chief and one of the main contributors to this magazine till 1991, when assisted editor Jayadvaita Swami took over as the editor in chief.[40]

Dealing with early "zonal acarya" days

In accordance with ISKCON GBC Governing Body Commission resolutions March 1978 Satsvarupa dasa Goswami along with other eleven Governing Body Commissioners assumed duties and services of initiating disciples in assigned zones after the death of Bhaktivedanta Swami.[41][42] Initial preaching areas in the United States and Caribbean were expanded with an addition of Ireland in 1982 where he became a zonal acharya.[43][44] The assumption of equal status to Bhaktivedanta Swami and the title of "Guru-Acarya" are still surrounded in a controversy. While following the direction of Governing Body Commission, Satsvarupa dasa Goswami was one of the pioneers who attempted to reform the system, by assuming more humble and appropriate role of a guru as per recorded instructions of the "Founder-Acarya."[45] While imitation of Bhaktivedanta Swami was criticised, despite these warnings, specifically by Satsvarupa dasa Goswami, such imitation sometimes resulted in curious side-effects and many devotees adopted Bhaktivedanta Swami's mannerisms. This remained evident especially among the older American devotees who even now speak with an Indian accent and display many of Bhaktivedanta Swami's gestures like turning one's head or moving one's hand in a certain way.[46]

At the Houston Book Fair, 2005

Later years

In years 1978–1985 he took part in a controversial zonal acarya system in a position of an Acharya while initiating reform of a high standard of worship. In 1986–1987 a number of senior members and newly appointed GBC members with the support of Satsvarupa dasa Goswami reformed ISKCON guru system, lowering unprecedented level of worship reserved to initiating gurus in ISKCON. He was called as the "most vocal in the cause of reform" in ISKCON.[47] Satsvarupa dasa Goswami recorded this period in his book Guru Reform Notebook (1987). Throughout the years that followed, up until the end of the century, new ISKCON guru system was further developed.[45]

In 1999 Governing Body Commission confirmed GBC Emeritus status of his membership of the Governing Body of ISKCON.[48]

Satsvarupa dasa Goswami (left) with his disciple Yadunandana Swami, summer 2009

His extensive traveling in Europe in 1990s included areas of Scandinavia, Eastern, Central Europe and Italy, but mainly centered in preaching in Ireland and UK.[49] In following years, his devotional life has included the creation of hundreds of paintings, drawings, and sculptures[50] that capture and express the artist's vision of Krishna consciousness. His latest literary work is centered on his commentary on Bhagavata Purana known as A Poor Man Reads the Bhagavatam.[51]

In 2002, he suffered a physical and emotional collapse from chronic migraine headaches, a condition that required immediate medical intervention and treatment. In consultation with the official governing body of the Krishna consciousness society, he agreed to cease initiating disciples.[52] With the GBC consultation, he retained his Goswami title and continued in the sannyasa order and as an ISKCON guru.[53][54]

Following a period of health recovery, at the age of 68, Satsvarupa dasa Goswami took residence in the East Coast United States where he is engaging in a number of preaching activities, such as regular lecturing and traveling to the holy dhamas. All of the associated preaching and traveling is complementing his main service of commenting and answering disciples' questions on the Bhaktivedanta Purports being published as the volumes of A Poor Man Reads the Bhagavatam and daily online journal.[55]

Select bibliography

See also

Notable Disciples

Notes

  1. [1]
    Library of Congress refers to two variants of Personal Name spelling: Goswami, Satsvarupa Das, 1939– and Goswāmī, Satsvarūpa Dāsa, 1939– ; WorldCat refers to 3 different spellings including two variants of diacritical spelling.'Satsvarūpa Dāsa Goswami', 'Satsvarupa Dasa Gosvami', 'Satsvarūpa Dasa Goswāmī'
  2. [2]
    The American Humanities Index Humanities – 1991, Whitston Pub. Co, ISBN 0-87875-417-2, p. 1148
  3. [3]
    Report on painting exhibition. Georgetown. Washington Times, Nov 10, 2001.[permanent dead link] "check out whimsical, colorful paintings and sculpture by writer Satsvarupa dasa Goswami from 11 am to 6 pm today at the gallery"
  4. [4]
    George D. Chryssides, Margaret Z. Wilkins. A Reader in New Religious Movements, 2006, ISBN 0-8264-6168-9 p. 208
  5. [5]
    Gosvāmī, Satsvarūpa Dāsa (2002) [1983]. Srīla Prabhupāda-līlāmrta: a biography of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda. Los Angeles: Bhaktivedanta Book Trust. ISBN 978-0-89213-357-4.
  6. [6]
    "Srila Prabhupada Lilamrita". www.krishna.com. Archived from the original on May 25, 2008. Retrieved June 17, 2008.
  7. [7]
    "Britannica on A.C. Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada". References to authorised biography by Satsvarupa dasa Goswami. britannica.com. Retrieved April 19, 2008.
  8. [8]
    Smith, Huston; Harry Oldmeadow (2004). Journeys East: 20th century Western encounters with Eastern religious traditions. Bloomington, Ind: World Wisdom. p. 272. ISBN 978-0-941532-57-0. Before his death Prabhupada appointed eleven American devotees as gurus.
  9. [9]
    Rochford, E. Burke (1985). Hare Krishna in America. New Brunswick, N.J: Rutgers University Press. p. 222. ISBN 978-0-8135-1114-6. In the months preceding his death Srila Prabhupada appointed eleven of his closest disciples to act as initiating gurus for ISKCON
  10. [10]
    Ron Rhodes (2001). Challenge of the Cults and New Religions. Zondervan. pp. 179. ISBN 978-0-310-23217-9. Before Prabhupada died in 1977, he selected senior devotees who would continue to direct the organization.
  11. [11]
    Rodney Stark (1985). Religious movements. Paragon House Publishers. pp. 100. ISBN 978-0-913757-43-7. Satsvarupa dasa Goswami, one of the eleven initiating gurus Bhaktivedanta appointed to succeed him ...
  12. [12]
    Shinn 1994, 2.1
  13. [13]
    Hare Krishna leader visits local followers Archived March 3, 2016, at the Wayback Machine Daily Collegian, Penn State University, August 5, 1981
  14. [14]
    N. Suman Bhat, N. Suman. Torch: Bearers of the Krishna Cult. 2005, Sura Books. ISBN 81-7478-542-6 p. 81 "Steve became Satsvarupa, Bruce became Brahmananda ... "
  15. [15]
    S. Rosen Holy Cow: The Hare Krishna Contribution to Vegetarianism and Animal Rights. 2004, Lantern Books. ISBN 1-59056-066-3 p. 116 "one of Prabhupada's earliest and most dedicated disciples"
  16. [16]
    "Questions and Answers with disciples and friends and lectures". Audio archive. MP3. iskcondesiretree.com. Retrieved March 1, 2008.
  17. [17]
    Rosen, Steven (2007). Krishna's Song: a new look at the Bhagavad Gita. New York: Praeger. p. 32. ISBN 978-0-313-34553-1. Satsvarupa Dasa Gosvami, a contemporary devotee of Krishna and author of over a hundred books on Vaishnava traditions.
  18. [18]
    John P Reis, God is Not Dead; He Has Simply Changed Clothes: A Study of the International Society for Kṛṣṇa Consciousness University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1975, p.145
  19. [19]
    Shinn 1987, p. 44
  20. [20]
    Letter by Bhaktivedanta Swami, November 11, 1967 to Brahmananda, "I do not want crowd of Kirtananandas but I want a single soul like Brahmananda, Mukunda, Rayarama, and Satsvarupa. The same example is always applicable that one moon is sufficient for the night as not thousands of stars ... Without being empowered by Krishna, nobody can preach Krishna Consciousness. It is not academic qualification or financial strength which helps in these matters, but it is sincerity of purpose which helps us always. Therefore, I wish that you will remain in charge of New York, let Satsvarupa be in charge of Boston, Let Mukunda be in charge of San Francisco ... Letters quote
  21. [21]
    Hare Krishna in America – Page 284, 295 E. Burke Rochford, 1985. 324 pages, ISBN 0-8135-1114-3
  22. [22]
    Satsvarupa dasa Goswami; A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami (1998). Narada-bhakti-sutra: The Secrets of Transcendental Love. Los Angeles: Bhaktivedanta Book Trust. ISBN 978-0-89213-273-7.
  23. [23]
    Introduction by publishers. Archived February 12, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  24. [24]
    BBT Official Authors Biography. catalog.bbt.info. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  25. [25]
    Nick Kokoshis (November 1985), "Remember Eastern Religious Teachers", Vegetarian Times, Active Interest Media, p. 99, ISSN 0164-8497
  26. [26]
    "Perfect Health by Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami". backtogodhead.in. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  27. [27]
    Audio book online Srila Prabhupada-Lilamrta – Bhagavat-Asraya abridged audio rendition of "Prabhupada, Your Ever Well-wisher".
  28. [28]
    Phyllis G. Jestice, Holy People of the World: A Cross-cultural Encyclopedia 2004 ABC-CLIO p.122, ISBN 1-57607-355-6
  29. [29]
    Goswami 1983, preface
  30. [30]
    L. Shinn, Srila Prabhupada-Lilamrta, Introduction, Vol. 1, 1981
  31. [31]
    Ketola 2008, p. 10
  32. [32]
    Dr. Kimmo Ketola An Indian guru and his Western disciples May 2002. University of Helsinki, Faculty of Arts, Department of Comparative Religion p. 13
  33. [33]
    Reader in New Religious Movements George D. Chryssides, Margaret Wilkins. 2006, Continuum International Publishing Group ISBN 0-8264-6167-0
  34. [34]
    Passage from India: The Life and Times of His Divine Grace A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Steven Rosen, Satsvarūpa Dāsa Goswāmī, 1992, Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers, Page 99
  35. [35]
    Burr, Angela (1984). I am Not My Body: A Study of the International Hare Krishna Sect. New Delhi: Vikas. p. 92. ISBN 978-0-7069-2296-7.
  36. [36]
    Goswami. Srila Prabhupada Lilamrta Vol 5. BBT. p. 95.
  37. [37]
    Kimmo Ketola (2008). The Founder of the Hare Krishnas as Seen by Devotees: A Cognitive Study of Religious Charisma (Numen Book Series). Boston: Brill Academic Publishers. p. 123. ISBN 978-90-04-16613-4.
  38. [38]
    magazine Back to Godhead – official magazine of ISKCON
  39. [39]
    Popular Religious Magazines of the United States – Page 61 by Mark Fackler, Charles H. Lippy, 1995
  40. [40]
    "Biodata for Jayadvaita Swami". www.jswami.info. Retrieved October 31, 2008.
  41. [41]
    See: Back to Godhead, Notes from the Editor, #1301/02 1978
  42. [42]
    Rawlinson, Andrew (1997). The book of enlightened masters: western teachers in eastern traditions. La Salle, Ill: Open Court. pp. 186. ISBN 978-0-8126-9310-2.
  43. [43]
    RTÉ (1983), "Irish times – Televised debate with Satsvarupa dasa Goswami", Irish Times, Fri 08 (April): 26
  44. [44]
    RTÉ (1984), "ILate Late show – announcement – special guest Satsvarupa dasa Goswami", Irish Times, Fri 30 (April): 30
  45. [45]
    Satsvarupa dasa Goswami (1992). "quote in Encyclopedic Handbook of Cults in America By J. Gordon Melton, Melton J. Gordon". Guru Reform Notebook. New York: Garland. ISBN 978-0-8153-1140-9.
  46. [46]
    Ketola 2008, part seven
  47. [47]
    Melton, J. Gordon (1989). The encyclopedia of American religions. Detroit: Gale Research. p. 868. ISBN 978-0-8103-2841-9. Most vocal in the cause of reform was Satsvarupa dasa Goswami, who authored an official biography
  48. [48]
    "GBC Resolution 1999 by ISKCON – Governing Body Commission". gbc.iskcon.org. Retrieved April 22, 2012.
  49. [49]
    "Audio – ISKCON desire tree: His Holiness Satsvarupa Das Goswami". audio.iskcondesiretree.info. Retrieved April 16, 2009.
  50. [50]
    "SDG Video Ministry – The Talks & Artshows of Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami". www.sdgvm.com. Archived from the original on December 4, 2004. Retrieved April 16, 2009.
  51. [51]
    Klostermaier, K.K. "ISKCON Communications Journal – ICJ Vol. 5, No. 1". www.iskcon.com. Archived from the original on October 19, 2006. Retrieved October 31, 2008.
  52. [52]
    Satsvarupa dasa Goswami, Visitors in About the Author, (2007)
  53. [53]
    Rochford, E. Burke (2007). Hare Krishna transformed. New York: New York University Press. p. 224. ISBN 978-0-8147-7579-0. Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami still is an ISKCON guru, but as of 2005, he was not initiating new disciples
  54. [54]
    List of Sannyasis in ISKCON April 2008 Archived July 21, 2008, at the Wayback Machine ISKCON Sannyasa Ministry, Retrieved on 2008-05-05
  55. [55]
    "India Journal 7 – winter 2008 travel to the holy places in India by SDG". www.sdgonline.org. Retrieved October 31, 2008.

References
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